Chapter Eighty Four.

Chapter Eighty Four.
Diya throat dried instantly.

He wore only a grey sweatpants that hung low on his hips, the faint trail of his abs disappearing beneath the waistband.

His eyes locked onto her, and Diya saw the sudden shift.

His calm expression froze.

Then it twisted into visible displeasure.

Diya stood frozen, then quietly dropped the phone on the bed, as if it had burned her fingers.

Varun’s eyes dropped to his phone—then slowly back to her face.

His jaw clenched.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, voice low and calm, but laced with barely hidden irritation.

“I… I… um…” she stammered, caught red-handed. “I didn’t know the way to the study room…”

She hated how shaky she sounded, but the lie tumbled out before she could stop it.

Varun didn’t blink. His stare remained cold.

The phone lit up again on the bed. He looked at it once more.

Without another word, he took a step toward her. Then another.

Diya’s heart pounded.

He was just two steps away from her now, towering. She looked up at him, her face flushed with nervous excitement, her chest rising and falling faster.

Varun’s voice cut through the silence.

“Take the next stairs up. First room to your left. That’s the study. Go and wait there.” he said flatly.

He picked up his phone, turned away, and walked toward his closet again, reaching for a shirt.

Diya swallowed hard.

She shouldn’t ask. She really shouldn’t.

But her curiosity was eating her alive.

She couldn’t stop thinking about that picture. About that girl.

“Varun?” she called softly, walking closer to him, her fingers nervously brushing against her jean.

He turned and looked at her.

That look.

She nearly melted on the spot.

God, she adored him. Everything about him. His silence. His mind. His quiet dominance. He was everything she wanted, everything she dreamed of.

“I… I… can I ask you something?”

His brows furrowed, clearly unimpressed.

Diya hesitated, then asked it anyway.

“Do you… have a girlfriend?”

Varun didn’t even blink.

“Yes.”

It was fast. Brutal. Unapologetically blunt.

Like a knife to her chest.

Diya stepped back a little. Her face paled.

He just looked at her. Cold. Detached.

Her eyes flicked to his phone again, to the faint glow still on the screen.

She swallowed hard.

“I-is it… her?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper, as she pointed to the phone in his hand.

This time, Varun’s gaze hardened.

“Leave, Diya.”

His tone was final.

“Go to the study. I’ll meet you there.”

Diya nodded and smiled sadly then she left his room..

His sharp eyes scanned around the room, brows pulling together as something felt off. He took a slow breath, and the faint, lingering scent hit him.

His jaw ticked.

“Her perfume..” he muttered, the anger simmering again.

He strode to the dresser, grabbed the air freshener, and sprayed it across the room, a little too aggressively, as if trying to erase the very air.

He shook his head. “Unbelievable..” he whispered, disgust curling in his chest. His sanctuary had been invaded.

♤♤♤

Late at night…

Veda stood in the living room, clutching the ticket like it was a lifeline, her eyes stinging with silent emotions.

She looked up at her father, the man who, even in his silence, loved her more than anything.

She smiled, and then without thinking, wrapped her arms around him.

“Thank you, Papa..” she whispered, her voice full of love and guilt all at once.

Meera and their mom stood nearby, watching, both silent, both holding their emotions behind quiet eyes.

The whole living room felt full, like something heavy hung in the air. Like everyone could feel this wasn’t just a goodbye.

Their father cleared his throat, looking at her now with a seriousness she rarely saw.

“Veda..” he said gently, voice thick with emotion. She looked up at him again.

“I’m sorry,” he said, “I could only get a very early morning train… and I didn’t have time to go look at where you’ll be staying. But..” he reached into his pocket and handed her a folded piece of paper, “..I found someone. He’ll be at the train station when you arrive in Bangalore. You don’t have to worry, he’ll take you straight to where you can stay for the main time, qnd if you don't like the place, you can tell me and we can figure out what to do.”

Veda nodded, smiling sadly. “Thank you, Papa…”

He hold her shoulders gently. “Veda, listen to me. When you get there, if you need anything, anything, you must call me, okay?”

Before she could respond, he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

But Veda couldn’t help but chuckle, her eyes glistening. “Papa, I can’t keep calling you for every little thing. Come on, I’ll find a small tutoring job there, just part time, so I can earn a bit on my own.”

The laughter didn’t reach his eyes.

“No, Veda,” he said firmly. “No jobs. I mean it. Call me if you need anything. Please. That’s not a city you know, and you’re going alone. I need to know you’re safe. For the two year you will be there.”

“But Meera works, Papa,” Veda pointed out softly, glancing at her sister, who only smiled at the comparison.

Their father didn’t budge. “One, Meera is older. Two, she’s here, in this city, where I can reach her. You’re not. You’ll be in a whole different state. Please, just listen to me. I don’t want you stressing or wandering around trying to survive. I’ll take care of everything.”

Veda sighed, biting her lip, the stubbornness melting. “Okay, Papa…”

He smiled, finally, and pulled her into a warm hug. “That’s my princess. The cab will be here very early. Try to sleep tonight, alright?”

She nodded against his chest, feeling the slow thump of his heart, the one that had always beaten for her.

“Thank you, Papa..” she whispered again, holding him tighter.

Her mom and Meera both smiled, but Meera caught the look in their father’s eyes, the sadness he tried so hard to mask.

The feeling of letting her go, the worry of what she was walking into… it was all there.

And Meera’s smile slowly faded.

She could tell…

He was scared.